Teddy Nez
Feb. 23, 8:25 pm
Aggravated DWI
Gallup Police Officer Clarissa Morgan said she was traveling westbound on Interstate 49 when she noticed a brown pickup in her lane driving in the middle of two lanes.
The vehicle then went back to the inner lane before drifting back, causing problems for cars trying to pass him. The truck then started to speed up and then go slow, repeating this sequence a couple of times.
Morgan decided to do a traffic stop. She talked to Teddy Nez, 74, of Gallup, and found he was coming from Fire Rock Casino. He admitted he had a bit to drink at the casino. Morgan said she could smell alcohol from inside the vehicle.
Nez agreed to take the standard field sobriety tests, but because of his age and the fact that he had to use a cane, he was given the verbal tests. He had problems following directions and failed the tests.
He was charged with DWI. He agreed to take a breath alcohol test.
When they arrived at the Gallup Police Department, Nez would not exit the unit. He was crying and said he did not want to live anymore because no one cared about him. Morgan said she viewed this as a refusal to take the breath test.
Morgan took Nez for a medical clearance at Gallup Indian Medical Center and then took him to McKinley County Adult Detention Center where he was booked for aggravated DWI, having an open container in a vehicle, and driving on divided streets.
Shani Francis
Feb. 14, 2:45 am
Aggravated DWI (Third)
Gallup Police Officer Adrian Quetawki said he was driving on the Miyamura Overpass when he saw a car in front of him at the intersection standing in the middle of the lanes making it impossible for other cars to drive around it.
He watched as the car just stood there as the light turned green and then red. At that point, he got out of his unit, walked up to the driver’s window and talked to Shani Francis, 29, of Manuelito.
He said as he talked to her, he could see signs of intoxication and could smell alcohol. She admitted she had been drinking earlier in the evening and later said she had a beer and a shot.
She refused to take the standard field sobriety tests and was arrested for DWI. She at first agreed to take a breath alcohol test, but when it came time to take it, she began yelling and became argumentative, saying she did not want to take the test.
Quetawki then discovered that her driver’s license had been revoked because of two prior DWI convictions.
Francis was later released on her own recognizance by a judge.
Ryan McCray
Feb. 8, 1:40 am
Aggravated DWI
Gallup Police Officer Dominic Molina said he was traveling near 1400 S. Second St. when he was flagged down by a security guard who said there was a truck in the parking lot that was hitting other cars.
As Molina drove into the parking lot, he saw the vehicle in question and noticed that its headlights were off. He watched as it left the parking lot to go north on Second Street. He followed and saw the driver stop and then rev up his engine before going forward again.
Molina said he continued to follow and heard the truck’s engine rev up again. He turned on his lights and siren and the driver went into a nearby parking lot. He saw Ryan McCray, 31, of Gallup, try to get out of his truck, but the vehicle started rolling backwards. Molina said he backed up his unit to keep it from being hit.
When the truck stopped, Molina said he went to the driver’s window and saw three open beer containers. He also smelled alcohol.
McCray told him that he was coming from his mother’s house and had stopped off to have a couple of beers. He refused to take the standard field sobriety tests, but did agree to take a breath alcohol test, during which he posted samples of .28 and .27.
McCray was transported and booked at McKinley County Adult Detention Center.
Mariah Amber Yazzie
Feb. 7, 4:41 am
Aggravated DWI
Gallup Police Officer Patrick Largo said he was in the parking lot of the Gallup Detox Center when he saw a car speeding on Boyd Avenue. It slowed down as it entered Boardman Avenue and began heading south with Largo following.
When he saw the car swerve, he conducted a traffic stop and began talking to Mariah Amber Yazzie, 25, of Thoreau. He said she showed signs of being intoxicated, but claimed she had nothing to drink that night.
She agreed to take the standard field sobriety tests, but Largo said she had problems keeping her balance from the start.
After the first test, he asked her again if she had had anything to drink and this time she admitted to having had a couple of beers, she continued to take the tests, but was still having problems so when it was over, Largo arrested her for DWI.
She refused to take the breath alcohol test and the charge was upgraded to aggravated DWI. She was transported to the county jail and booked.
Yazzie was later released on her own recognizance by a judge.
Micha Leo Unger
Feb. 5, 2:12 am
Aggravated DWI
Gallup Police Officer Jared Albert said he was dispatched to Nizhoni Boulevard because of a complaint that a car was parked in the middle of the road.
When he got there, he saw that another officer was already there and Micha Leo Unger, 30, of Albuquerque, was standing by his car with the engine still running.
Unger showed signs of intoxication and admitted he had had three tall cans of beer within the past two hours. He agreed to take the standard field sobriety tests and failed, after which he was arrested for DWI.
He then agreed to take the breath alcohol tests and posted samples of .17 and .16. He was transported to the county jail and booked.
Unger was later released on his own recognizance by a judge.